


The Christmas Thief

by Fire_Bear



Series: It's Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas [10]
Category: Kingsman (Movies)
Genre: (sort of), Alternate Universe - Different First Meeting, Christmas, Christmas Shopping, First Meetings, Fluffy-ish?, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-19
Updated: 2016-12-19
Packaged: 2018-09-09 22:12:23
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,672
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8914906
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fire_Bear/pseuds/Fire_Bear
Summary: Harry Hart always has trouble doing his Christmas shopping. His afternoon is made more interesting by a young thief that he decides needs his help.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Zeplerfer](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Zeplerfer/gifts).



> For the prompt: Character A vows to do something nice for a stranger during the Christmas time. Character B is that stranger.

Being a Kingsman agent meant that, sometimes, there was just very little time to buy Christmas presents at the end of the year. In fact, some years Harry missed Christmas altogether. He couldn't remember the last time he'd been organised well before the 25th. This year was yet another one where he'd had to wait till the last week in order to find everything.

In all honesty, he'd be finished by now if his fellow Kingsman agents weren't so damned hard to buy for. What do you get for the people who have everything? Or the man who had every piece of new technology decades before they became public? Should he go down the route of 'I've given up trying to think of new things for you so have a festive tie' like Percy did or should he go down the joke gift route like James did. Every. Year.

Harry took one look at the rows of cufflinks in the shop and made his decision.

Which was why he was one street over from Kingsman on the day it happened. Since James liked a flashy entrance and a flashy car, he had made his way to Hamleys to see if he could find a toy car. Or, perhaps, some sort of other toy to poke fun at James with. Served him right, really, with the alarm clock he'd given Harry last year: it had made rather inappropriate noises to wake him on time but which made him late, anyway. He'd had to hide it in a cupboard.

As he perused the items on the ground floor, wondering if he could get one of them for Arthur or if he'd be unable to understand the joke, he realised that something was out of place. So Harry stepped around a large teddy bear that no-one would be able to carry, let alone buy, and surveyed the floor he was on. Most people were there with their children. Some were tourists, taking pictures of the huge bear. A few were Christmas shoppers, consulting lists and checking prices. One person, however, didn't have the same urgency or energy.

The young man wore an unzipped tracksuit jacket, a cap and a pair of large trainers. He was hunched over, his cap covering both his hair and his eyes. Instead of walking along or picking things up, he was hovering in front of one set of shelves, looking around at the crowd instead of the toys. His hands were in his pockets and he didn't seem to be shopping at all. There was a very slight chance that he was waiting for someone but Harry decided there was a higher likelihood that he was about to steal something.

Since it wasn't a major incident or a threat to the general public, Harry decided he didn't need to intervene. He stepped back into the throng of shoppers, looking at a stuffed toy giraffe. Picking it up, he considered it, noting someone looking at him out of the corner of his eye. Looking down, he spotted a little girl staring at him and the giraffe. Smiling at her, he handed over the toy and, grinning toothily (though two were missing), she darted off. Looking up, Harry saw that, though Hamleys was so busy that it was hard to move, they had employed security guards who were roaming the floor. One of them was close to the young man he had seen earlier; he didn't appear to have seen the guard since his back was to him, one of his hands now removed from his pockets.

Calculating the likelihood of what would happen, Harry realised that he was about to attempt to steal one of the teddies but would be caught by the guard. And, if the young man was stealing a toy, it was probably for a child, one of his own or a sibling. Harry imagined how the man's family, too poor to afford Christmas presents, would have to spend Christmas without him. He could almost see them in his mind's eye, weeping.

A voice in his head, one which sounded much like Merlin, told him to stop being so melodramatic.

Still, it would ruin someone's day if this man was arrested, he was sure of it. So, he stepped into the flow of the crowd and walked briskly towards the lad's side. Sure enough, as he approached him, the man's hand darted out and grabbed a little teddy bear with a daisy stuck on its head. He wrapped his jacket around it and quickly zipped up the jacket. In fact, had he not been so suspicious, the guard would not have turned in his direction at his movement. Thankfully, Harry beat him to it, grabbing the man's arm before he could get away.

“Hey!” the man – boy, really – cried. “Let go! What's yer problem?”

Despite the affront the boy had put on, Harry could see his eyes darting around, taking in the guards and how far from the exit he was. Not only that but he relaxed his arm instead of tensing, something most thieves would make the mistake of doing. _Interesting_ , thought Harry. While he wanted to see what other skills the boy had, Harry decided it was probably best to interfere before the man could make his situation worse. “It's all right. Don't worry: I'm not a guard. But I _did_ see you take something which doesn't belong to you. I suggest you-”

“Oi!” interrupted one of the guards, finally reaching them. “What the hell's going on here?”

Since the guard had reached them before Harry could properly help the man, he let his grip go slack as he turned to the guard, interested in what the young man would do now. Almost instantly, he ripped his arm from Harry's grip and dashed off, heading for the door. He pushed his way through the crowd, losing one guard in the throng. Another one tried to head him off on the other side of the path but the thief leapt onto the giant teddy, using its leg to gain height before jumping off its stomach and changing direction. This time, he was headed straight for the door.

Unfortunately, a lull in the crowd meant that a security guard, clearly angry at being shown up, tackled the boy, sending them sprawling on the floor. Harry and the guard who had originally approached them hurried over to them. The tackler kept a hold of the boy as his colleague pulled him up, almost dragging him along the floor. Harry wordlessly helped him to his feet properly.

“Who the hell are you?” demanded one of the guards of Harry.

“A passing, concerned citizen,” Harry told him. “I rather think there was no need for that sort of violence in a store aimed at children.”

“We don't take thieves lightly,” growled the tackler, glaring at Harry.

“Technically, he might not be a thief: he doesn't appear to have left the store with anything.”

The man snorted. “Woulda done if you hadn't got in the way,” he mumbled.

“What on Earth is going on?” demanded a woman, one who was all sharp edges and severe frown. Her name was apparently Beatrice and she was the Ground Floor Manager, according to her name tag. She took one look at the scene and made the wrong presumption. “Is this brat _stealing_ from our _customers_?” she demanded.

“Not at all, madam,” Harry told her. “He hasn't stolen anything at all.”

“Oh, yeah?” growled the tackling guard and, with unnecessary force, he grabbed the man's zip and yanked it down. The little teddy bear with the daisy at its ear toppled out and fell to the floor. Trying to yank his arm out of the guards' grip, the man cried out, trying to reach for the teddy bear. Harry bent and scooped it up instead.

“I see,” said Beatrice, eyes narrowing. “Then I think we should get the police-”

“There is no need for the police,” Harry interjected, drawing himself up to his full height and using Severe Look #1 on the woman. “He hasn't taken it from the store.”

“It's obvious he was _about_ to leave,” one of the guards pointed out.

“Not necessarily. He ran because we confronted him. He may have been headed for another floor. Have you considered that he was trying to buy this for a family member who he is here with today and wanted to keep it a surprise?”

There was a short silence. The man broke it, struggling out of his captors' grip. “Yeah! Just assuming 'cause I look like a 'pleb' I gotta be stealing? I should make a complaint.”

“A complaint?!” Beatrice exclaimed. “You _must_ be joking!”

“Eh, no,” the man said, scowling at the woman. “That was assault, that was. I should be taking this up with the blues and twos. Thought security guards weren't supposed to be grabbing people any more, anyways?”

Beatrice looked between Harry and the young man before glaring at Harry and grabbing the bear. “Fine,” she said. “But the teddy stays with the store. I'd like _you_ ” - she pointed at the boy - “out of here. _Now_.”

Harry and the thief watched the guards and manager wander off, though they all stayed close, watching them. Turning to the lad, Harry watch him scowl and kick at the floor, obviously upset that he was going to have to go without the intended present. It didn't take Harry long to reach a decision, one he was sure he wouldn't regret. No doubt some little child somewhere in London would love this man even more if they received the teddy.

“I'll buy it for you,” he told him. That startled the man and he looked up. Harry could finally see his face: there was something familiar about it. His hair was scruffy and brown whilst his eyes were a rather pretty shade of hazel, only marred by how narrowed they were, his suspicion clear. Harry ignored it and continued, “Go outside and I'll meet you there.”

His eyes flickered to the guards behind Harry before he shrugged and spun on his heel. Hands back in his pockets, he sauntered outside, not bothering to glance behind him. Harry watched him until he had left the shop before he turned and made his way back to the teddies that had caused such a problem. Lifting one, he glanced at the price and frowned: the boy must be in dire straits if he couldn't afford it. Regardless, Harry went to buy it, Beatrice frowning at him all the while.

When he eventually got outside, Harry was a little worried he had just bought the teddy for no reason, that the boy had fled. A quick glance around told him he needn't have done so: the boy had trusted him enough to wait across the road. So, checking the traffic, Harry jogged across, holding his hand high to thank those drivers who were kind enough to stop. Once on the opposite pavement, Harry held out the bag and raised an eyebrow.

Still slouching, the man eyed Harry before carefully taking the bag and glancing inside. “Huh,” he said when he saw the bear. “You actually did it. What, wanted to be a good Samaritan for Christmas or summat?”

“Well, Mister...?”

“Eggsy.”

The name sparked a memory but Harry brushed it aside to figure out later. It was odd, though, and was probably unique so it would be easy to find him again if necessary. “Well, _Eggsy_ , I merely thought you could use some help. A life of crime at Christmas time?”

Snorting, Eggsy peered up at Harry. “You tryna rhyme, huh? Look, thanks an' all, but you didn't really have to get down from your ivory tower to help me. I'd 'ave figured _something_ out.”

“Really? And would your mother or father or... sister, perhaps? Would _they_ have liked to visit you in prison over the holiday period?”

Frowning, Eggsy shifted uncomfortably. “'S'only a bit of shoplifting. Ain't gonna get me in prison.”

“But I gather it's not your first rodeo, as they say.”

“Sure as hell isn't,” Eggsy replied with a smirk. His confidence fled when Harry gave him Severe Look #2.

“This is serious, Eggsy. Should you continue on this path, you will end up in a worse place than you are now.”

That seemed to irritate Eggsy, a scowl returning. “And who are _you_ to tell me what I should an' shouldn't do?” he snapped.

Harry blinked. “Oh, I do apologise. How terribly rude of me. My name is Harry Hart. It's a pleasure to meet you.” He held out his hand.

Eggsy blinked at him. “You really mean that, dontcha?” he said, taking hold of it and firmly shaking it.

“Indeed. So I would like you to take my warning to heart.”

“What, don't nick stuff or you'll end up in jail?” Eggsy scoffed. “There's plenty of people telling me that already.”

Sighing, Harry shook his head and gave Eggsy a disappointed look. “Surely your parents worry?”

“Mum's busy with Daisy,” Eggsy said, lifting the bag slightly in explanation.

“And your father? I doubt you're making him proud.”

Tensing, Eggsy's eyes narrowed. “You don't know nuffink about my dad. And you don't know _anything_ about me. So lay off.”

“Really, Eggsy,” Harry began.

Almost growling, Eggsy did what few men ever had the chance to – he poked Harry in the chest. Harry saw it coming, of course, but he had been curious as to what Eggsy was attempting to do. He blinked down at the boy, startled to see that his eyes seemed to be on fire, so angry was Eggsy. “No,” Eggsy said with a finality in his voice. “You lot are all born with silver spoons up your arses and you never give a thought to everyone you trample underfoot. You-” Eggsy broke off, glanced around and then shrugged. “Whatever. I'm outta here.”

“Wait. Eggsy.”

“What?” Eggsy had already turned to go and frowned at Harry over his shoulder.

For a moment, Harry considered warning him off again or even sneaking him onto the Kingsman payroll somehow. However, taking in Eggsy's defensive posture and noting the attention their argument had attracted, Harry gave in. For now, at least. He would have to find the lad after Christmas. So, instead of any more pearls of wisdom, Harry said, “Happy Christmas, Eggsy.”

After a second of stillness, Eggsy turned back to face Harry, walking backwards as he spoke. “You too, Harry. And thanks again, for this. You're definitely on Santa's good books.” And, with a cheeky wink, Eggsy was gone, only his horrible clothing helping Harry track his movements down the length of Regent Street.

It took Harry a while to stop replaying the brazen wink and the flirtatious looks Eggsy had given him. Then, shaking his head, he began to make his way back to the shop, giving his shopping trip up as a lost cause. He'd try again another day, hopefully when Hamleys' security guards weren't suspicious of him. And, if he could get his thankfully normal alarm clock to cooperate with him, maybe he could even rise early.

(He _would not_ think about Eggsy, no matter how much he bothered him nor piqued his interest – in more ways than one.)

Even as he took long strides along New Burlington Street, a small beeping noise alerted him that Merlin was trying to get in touch. Pushing his glasses up by the edge, he activated the communication channel. “Merlin,” he murmured.

“Galahad,” Merlin responded. “Have you finished your Christmas shopping?”

Fighting back a grimace, Harry said, “More or less.”

“Good. I have something for you. Get yerself back to the shop as soon as you can.”

“Already on my way.”

* * *

_“Um, my name's Eggsy Unwin. Sorry, um, Gary Unwin. And I'm up shit creek; I'm in an urban police station and my mum said to call this number if I needed help...”_

_“I'm sorry, sir. Wrong number.”_

_“Wait, wait! … Oxfords not Brogues?”_

**Author's Note:**

> I took that last bit from IMDB quotes but altered slightly so it made more sense to me. So, if it’s wrong, blame anyone but me, shush.


End file.
